Today's Fantasy Rx

Like last year, as I already have covered practically every minor leaguer ready for the majors during our team prospect reviews, instead of providing in-depth commentary on each player today, I'll provide a brief synopsis of what I expect in 2004 from every player at the AA and AAA levels. I won't cover anyone here that spent any time in the majors this season, but I'll give you a quick look at anyone who played above A-ball, listed at the position where he appeared the most.

Minor League Free Agent and AAA/AA Catchers in the American League

Anaheim Angels
Minor League Free Agents:
None.

Prospects:
Wil Nieves, 26, B:R, T:R.
102/361 for .283/.327/.371 with 4 HR, 38 RBI, 48 R, 1/3 SB%,
and a 25:53 BB:K for AAA Salt Lake(PCL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AAAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major League reserve by 2006.
2004 Fantasy Potential: Roster filler.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $5 by 2007.

Ryan Budde, 24, B:R, T:R.
73/342 for .213/.289/.333 with 10 HR, 41 RBI, 45 R, 1/2 SB%,
and a 35:76 BB:K for AA Arkansas(SL).
12/50 for .240/.259/.400 with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 2:10 BB:K for A+ Rancho Cucamonga(Cal).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A+/AA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAAA backup by 2008.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: Roster filler by 2009.

Brent Del Chiaro, 24, B:R, T:R.
25/154 for .162/.222/.279 with 1 HR, 10 RBI, 18 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 9:56 BB:K for AA Arkansas(SL).
5/22 for .227/.370/.227 with 0 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 3:9 BB:K for A+ Rancho Cucamonga(Cal).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A/A+ backup.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA backup by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Jeff Mathis, 20, B:R, T:R.
27/95 for .284/.364/.463 with 2 HR, 14 RBI, 19 R, 1/3 SB%,
and a 12:16 BB:K for AA Arkansas(TL).
122/378 for .323/.384/.500 with 11 HR, 54 RBI, 74 R, 5/8 SB%,
and a 35:74 BB:K for A+ Rancho Cucamonga(Cal).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA/AAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major League starter by 2006.
2004 Fantasy Potential: High-round minor league pick.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $25 by 2009.

Baltimore Orioles
Minor League Free Agents:
Raul Casanova, 31, B:R, T:R.
23/91 for .286/.365/.440 with 3 HR, 14 RBI, 12 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 10:15 BB:K for AAA Ottawa(IL).
58/193 for .301/.349/.466 with 4 HR, 36 RBI, 25 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 14:21 BB:K for AAA Colorado Springs(PCL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AAAA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major League starter by 2006.
2004 Fantasy Potential: Mid-season free agent.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $5 by 2006.

Steve Lomasney, 26, B:R, T:R.
61/253 for .241/.322/.296 with 0 HR, 19 RBI, 28 R, 2/3 SB%,
and a 28:93 BB:K for AAA Ottawa(IL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A+/AA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAAA starter by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: Roster filler by 2008.

Izzy Molina, 32, B:R, T:R.
0/9 for .000/.000/.000 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 0:6 BB:K for AAA Ottawa(IL).
5/16 for .313/.476/.375 with 0 HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 0/1 SB%,
and a 5:4 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
12/59 for .203/.347/.390 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R, 2/3 SB%,
and a 12:10 BB:K for A- Aberdeen(NYP).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA/AAA backup.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAAA backup by 2005.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: Roster filler by 2006.

Kelly Ramos, 26, B:S, T:R.
20/97 for .206/.243/.340 with 3 HR, 12 RBI, 7 R, 0/1 SB%,
and a 5:18 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
27/113 for .239/.315/.407 with 5 HR, 15 RBI, 1 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 9:12 BB:K for A Delmarva(Sal).
5/24 for .208/.240/.500 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 1:5 BB:K for A- Aberdeen(NYP).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A/A+ backup.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA backup by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Saul Soto, 25, B:R, T:R.
100/345 for .290/.364/.461 with 13 HR, 53 RBI, 53 R, 2/2 SB%,
and a 38:55 B:KK between I Oaxaca(Mex) and I Mexico City(Mex).
Appropriate 2004 Role: AA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: Major League backup by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: $5 by 2008.

Prospects:
Mike Seestedt, 24, B:R, T:R.
1/8 for .125/.222/.125 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 1:0 BB:K for AAA Ottawa(IL).
30/123 for .244/.319/.268 with 0 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R, 0/1 SB%,
and a 14:17 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
8/35 for .229/.289/.286 with 0 HR, 5 RBI, 1 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 3:6 BB:K for A+ Frederick(Car).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A+ backup.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA backup by 2007.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Octavio Martinez, 24, B:R, T:R.
0/4 for .000/.200/.000 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 0:0 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
33/133 for .248/.291/.278 with 0 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 4:19 BB:K for A+ Frederick(Car).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A/A+ backup.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAA backup by 2009.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: None.

Eli Whiteside, 23, B:R, T:R.
54/265 for .204/.230/.272 with 1 HR, 23 RBI, 21 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 5:44 BB:K for AA Bowie(EL).
7/10 for .700/.700/1.000 with 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 R, 1/1 SB%,
and a 0:1 BB:K for A- Aberdeen(NYP).
1/3 for .333/.500/.667 with 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 R, 0/0 SB%,
and a 1:1 BB:K for R Orioles(GCL).
Appropriate 2004 Role: A+/AA starter.
Long-term Upside & ETA: AAAA backup by 2008.
2004 Fantasy Potential: None.
Long-term Fantasy Upside & ETA: Roster filler by 2009.

I'll continue tomorrow by discussing National League Catchers with Positive Draft Value.

Today's Fantasy Rx: Assuming Joe Mauer, Pete LaForest, Gerald Laird, and Kevin Cash all open next year in the majors as expected, the catchers at the top of our minor league draft lists will be Guillermo Quiroz, Kelly Shoppach, Dioner Navarro, Jeremy Brown, and Rob Bowen. Of course, of those five prospects, only Quiroz and Brown appear relatively likely to earn starting jobs by next spring. Shoppach, Navarro, and Bowen each will need either a trade of themselves or the organization's current starter, respectively Varitek, Posada, and Mauer, to secure regular playing time, reducing their current fantasy value in my eyes for leagues that prevent you from keeping players dealt to the other league.